Standard Library

Python time Module

Python Time Functions

Python time module provides sleep and perf_counter for timing.

Introduction to the time Module

The time module in Python provides various time-related functions. It is part of Python's standard library and is useful for managing time in your applications, such as pausing execution or measuring time intervals.

Using the sleep() Function

The sleep() function is used to pause the execution of a program for a specified number of seconds. This can be useful in scenarios where you need to delay execution, such as waiting for a file to be written or simulating a time delay in testing.

High-Resolution Timing with perf_counter()

The perf_counter() function provides a high-resolution timer to measure short durations. It is ideal for benchmarking code or measuring the execution time of small code snippets. Unlike time(), it includes time elapsed during sleep and is unaffected by system clock changes.

Real-World Applications

  • Performance Testing: Use perf_counter() to measure how long a piece of code takes to execute, helping in performance optimization.
  • Task Scheduling: Utilize sleep() for scheduling tasks at regular intervals, such as polling a resource or staggering API requests.

Conclusion

The time module is a powerful tool for managing time in Python applications. With functions like sleep() and perf_counter(), developers can control program execution and measure time intervals effectively.

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